Taking some time to travel around India before the start of our volunteer experience in the Northeastern state of Mizoram we set our eyes on the state of Rajasthan. Historically this area was a battleground of warrior clans and feuding lords. Created by the generations of turbulence, numerous forts and fort towns remain. Historical interest combines with visual intrigue as the towns take on personalities via color.

Udaipur / The White City – Getting its name from the hue of the buildings edging and the palaces immersed within lake Pichola, we were delighted to have a hotel on the waters edge. Opposite our bank was bathing ghats and a view of the City Palace. Our first stop in town included a tour of the City Palace, which was a reminder of how elaborate and ornate Indian architecture is. Next was a stop at Jagdish temple, our first visit to a Hindu temple. We were amazed at the amount of detail spent to transform the temples stone exterior into carvings of animals, humans and gods, leaving no trace of simplicity.

Thankful for a spontaneous guided tour by a Hindu student, we were educated on the Hindu belief system, about Vishnu (the god who the temple was devoted to), and the purpose for this particular temples layout with 4 shrines to other gods in the grounds 4 corners. Here are some of the more random, interesting facts that I remembered: any cat is bad luck when it crosses your path (leading to surprisingly few cats in India), Basil is considered a sacred plant and only used for medicinal purposes, Red is the color of Happiness and a red flag flying at the top of a temple means that the temple is in use and the red saris mean that a women has just been married or just given birth to a son (make note not a daughter), and each Hindu god has an animal designated as its means of transport. For more useful and actual information on Hinduism click here.

Indian food being our number one highlight for this country, we put our passion into practice by taking a cooking class. Five hours were spent in our teachers home learning about the main seven spices added to any Indian dish, how to skillfully combine each of these to create some of our favorite dishes, the art of making masala Chai (a rival to our typical morning drink of coffee), and the talent for which it is necessary to make an edible chipati (Mike has a special knack for creating this tortilla like, wheat flat bread which substitutes in India as a utensil).

December 1st - 2nd
Mumbai

December 10th - 11th
Udaipur / The White City

December 12th
A Side trip to Kumbalgarh fort and Ranakpur Jain Temple

December 13th
Jodhpur / The Blue City

December 14th - 15th
Jaisalmer / The Golden City

December 16th
Random Stop : Bikaner and the close by Karni Mata Temple

December 17th - 20th
Pushkar / Important Hindu Pilgrimage Center

December 20th - 22nd
Bundi

December 23rdth - 24th
Agra

December 25th - 28th
New Delhi

Nuances of India

Volunteering in Mizoram